‘Vagus Nerve Stimulation is an Ideal Therapeutic Candidate for COVID-19 Infection’
Patrick Nemechek, D.O. – Published in The Journal of Emerging Diseases and Virology
OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS, UNITED STATES, June 22, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — Nemechek Technologies, LLC announced the publication of a peer-reviewed article by Patrick Nemechek D.O. on the advantages of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as a candidate therapy for COVID-19. VNS is largely unrecognized as a therapeutic tool to regulate the cytokine storm in hospitalized patients.
Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are predominantly dying of respiratory failure due to a surge of pro-inflammatory cytokines triggering acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is the reason such a high percentage of patients are requiring mechanical ventilation.
Dr. Nemechek notes that the solution to this deadly, unregulated immune response may be a mild electrical current applied to the vagus nerve. His method, known as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), delivers this microcurrent through a specially designed clip that fits comfortably on the ear.
Stimulation of the afferent vagus nerve fibers in certain portions of the ear activates the inflammatory reflex which signals the body to block the production of these pro-inflammatory cytokines and naturally regulate the immune response. Human studies show that VNS is effective in suppressing the hyperimmune response in sepsis and improves clinical symptoms in several inflammatory pathologies. Additionally, animal studies suggest that VNS may also be capable of mitigating abnormal clotting seen in more severe COVID-19 patients.
taVNS is safe, non-invasive, portable, and does not interfere with other therapies. Importantly, a single taVNS device can be shared among many patients with minimum sterilization. The immediate goal of taVNS as a COVID-19 trial therapy is the urgent need to decrease ICU admissions, patient intubations, and deaths.
Read the article.